Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao: Money to Burn?

Odd little fact: did you know that Illinois is the only state that allows you to pay at the tollbooth with pennies?

It seems like there is a petition going on to eliminate the use of the penny all together and start rounding prices, including tax, to the nearest nickel.

And if that’s not enough, we have Floyd Mayweather Jr. burning one hundred dollar bills at nightclubs. It seems that if Floyd doesn’t get the lion’s share of the purse and PPV money against Manny Pacquiao, he won’t fight.

I guess he thinks the one hundred dollar bill is about as important as the penny.

Well, maybe I am taking things a bit too far.

But if I am, I am in good company with Floyd because burning money on one hand and then wanting the people who feel the bite of the recession to throw more money at him seems just a bit skewed.

I have thought too many times on the subject of a super-fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. I’ve written about it and pondered what it would take to get them in the ring because it would be glorious.

In a recent editorial by Sam Lee at Buddhasport.com, I was slapped in the face by a cold hard fact that leaves me with no hope that the fight will ever take place.

He highlighted the true difference between the minds of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. and the main reason why we all should see that this fight isn’t going to happen.

How much do you care about a Mayweather Jr. / Pacquiao bout?

A great deal, and would spend $50.00 on the PPVSomewhat, but I'll go watch it at a bar for a $5.00 cover chargeVery little. I'll watch it when it comes on HBO a week later, for freeSubmit Votevote to see results

How much do you care about a Mayweather Jr. / Pacquiao bout?

A great deal, and would spend $50.00 on the PPV

70.8%

Somewhat, but I'll go watch it at a bar for a $5.00 cover charge

10.5%

Very little. I'll watch it when it comes on HBO a week later, for free

18.6%

Total votes: 950

For Manny, the dream of big money will not tempt him into making endless concessions to fight Floyd because, as he has actually been dirt poor, he knows the value of a hundred dollars or a million better than anyone. Now, being a multi-millionaire several times over, more money is no longer a lure.

Manny knows what it’s like to have more than enough money, simply because he knows what it’s like to have none.

On the flipside of that penny, throwing more money at Floyd Mayweather Jr. is just another token appeal at appeasing his vanity. Sadly, when a man has money to burn that portion of his vanity is secondary to his love of self.

And Floyd Mayweather Jr. loves himself so much that he’s not willing to risk seeing a loss notched on his perfect record because if that happens, then the sole basis for his claim at being the best boxer in history flies right out the window.

So, I feel an odd kind of closure. Sure, I’ll be happily surprised if the fight happens, but I just don’t care anymore. There are too many other things to do, and I don’t have money to burn, so why try to relate to a man who does?

Oh, and to draw this to an end, Illinois is the only state to allow motorists to use pennies at tollbooths because it is “The Land of Lincoln.”

Abraham Lincoln—now there’s a man you wouldn’t catch burning anything but the midnight oil. And I think I have burned enough of that over the fictional story of the mega-fight that never was: Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao.